


Sunrise

by RoseOfTheGalaxy



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Competition, Gen, Self-Doubt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26435425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseOfTheGalaxy/pseuds/RoseOfTheGalaxy
Summary: It all started with a morning run between friends. When the fifth Super Smash Bros. tournament rolls around, Inkling is determined to beat her newfound rival, Red. However, with each passing day, she struggles against the Brawl veteran. When her frustration rises, she seeks out the help of the stylish gun-wielder: Joker.
Kudos: 4





	Sunrise

In the wee hours of the morning, when the world was still dark, a lone figure, the Inkling, stood in a patch of grass near the front of the Smash Mansion. Cool, crisp air dug under the fabric of her clothing and froze her face, refreshing her senses. The light frost on the grass crunched underneath her tennis shoes. She was fierce. She was ready.

She took aim at the trunk of a nearby pine tree with her Splattershot. As she exhaled, her breath formed a tiny cloud in front of her. She pulled back the trigger and—

“Inkling?”

The moment she heard the Pokémon Trainer, Red, step outside, she whipped around towards him and fired. Before he knew it, his entire face was dripping with bright orange ink.

“Gotcha!”

Broken out of his half-asleep state, he wiped away some of the goopy substance with an arm. “I didn’t expect to see you out here.”

“Really?” she responded. “The first match of the tournament is in a few days! I’ve never done this before—It’s not like a turf war. I need to train hard so I can win!”

“That’s fair,” he said. “But it’s not even 6:00 yet.”

“Well, what are you doing here, then?”

“Well, I...” His cheeks turned slightly pink. “Same as you. Smash isn’t...like a Pokémon battle either.”

She snorted with laughter.

“Hey. I used to get up early to train for Gym battles, so this isn’t anything new.” He smiled and folded his arms over his chest. “Really, though. Smash is a whole different game.”

A light breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. As the pair watched each other, the gears in their brains began to turn. How did the other fight? What kinds of attacks should they be aware of? How might the other utilize the stage environments to their advantage? Would that even matter? 

After a moment, Inkling glanced up at the sky. The crescent moon seemed to gaze down at the pair with eager eyes, like a spectator waiting for someone to land another hit.

“You know,” Red said, “during the Brawl tournament, I used to walk my Pokémon to this town nearby—Smashville. I haven’t been there in years.” He reached for a Pokéball. “Since we’re training, what do you say we run there? It’s not far.”

“Is that a challenge?”

With sparks in his eyes, he reached for a Pokéball and opened it. In a brief flash of light, Squirtle appeared at his feet. “Wanna go for a run, buddy?” 

The tiny turtle Pokémon balled its fists and bobbed its tail up and down. “Squirtle, Squirtle!”

“Okay! Let’s get ‘em, Squirtle! You ready, Inkling?” Red bent into a running stance. “We’ll start in three—”

Inkling glanced at her temporary rival with a wide smirk. “Hope you can keep up!” Without another word, she sprinted away from the mansion and towards Smashville.

“H-Hey!” Red fumbled around for a moment before running after the squid-kid. “I didn’t finish counting!” Squirtle followed its Trainer with haste. 

As the Pokémon Trainer dashed ahead, he kept his eyes locked on her. Getting a head start, huh? Two can play at this game! “Squirtle! Hit her with a Water Gun!”

“Squirtle, Squirtle!” The Tiny Turtle Pokémon jumped onto his shoulder, then leapt forward. In mid-air, he shot a stream of water at Inkling. 

She yelped and halted as the blast collided with her back. “Hey, watch it! You know what water does to us?” She whipped her head to the side to see Red zooming by. “That’s not fair!”

“You didn’t play by the rules, either!” he shouted. As he raced ahead, he cackled and high-fived his partner.

Fire burned in her eyes. Her feet pounded into the dirt as she pushed on. There was no way she was letting them win!

\---

By the time the pair had neared Smashville, they were drenched in sweat, and their shoes and ankles were covered in pieces of wet grass, dirt, and grime. Throughout their journey to the town, they’d encountered dying pastures, dry paths, and clear rivers. At the halfway mark, they’d stopped to hydrate themselves, courtesy of Squirtle, who had kindly provided the water. As they continued running, the Pokémon Trainer and his partner had stayed ahead of the squid-kid. Of course they had. The bond between Trainer and Pokémon could overcome anything. As Inkling had observed her opponents kicking up dust, she’d wondered how hard she would have to push herself to claim victory, both right now and in the tournament. Red was obviously a veteran, so he had to have plenty of experience with how Smash worked. She was at a disadvantage in that regard. However, he hadn’t seen everything she was made of. Yet. 

In the end, Red and Squirtle reached the entrance to Smashville just before Inkling. “What was that about, ‘Try to keep up’?”

“Okay, okay! You win,” Inkling said. As she stopped to catch her breath, she gazed at the lines of buildings and streets. Even though it was only before 7:00 in the morning, characters already appeared to be going about their daily business. Lights inside some buildings were flicked on, and signs were turned from “closed” to “open.” The sidewalks were empty, with the exception of a few folks scattered here and there. Smashville didn’t look as bustling or as technologically advanced as Inkopolis, but it was a new place that the squid-kid couldn’t wait to explore.

“Hm...” Red put a finger to his lips. “I wonder how much has changed.”

As the Smashers walked through the gate, the sun began to emerge in the distance. In a matter of minutes, the sky was washed anew with pale pink and orange. Inkling smiled as warm light shone across her body. She’d never seen a sunrise so...breathtaking.

\---

Unbeknownst to the Trainer and the squid-kid, a tired figure with dark hair and glasses sat inside an open coffee shop. He curled his fingers around his ceramic cup and took a sip of the black coffee. Different than LeBlanc’s. In a more awakened state, he looked outside the window and saw three characters: A boy in red clothing, a blue turtle, and some kid who vaguely resembled Futaba.

“This must be it.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been about two years since I've actually written and posted a fanfiction. Wow. On a more related note, I hope that this will help me get better at writing fight scenes. Please look forward to those in the future.  
> (I will add more tags as needed.)


End file.
